1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an acupuncture treatment device comprising a flexible pad adapted to be pressed against a person's skin to stimulate blood circulation and safely relieve pain caused by stress, exercise or accident.
2. Prior Developments
The invention concerns a flexible pad having a large multiplicity of rigid needle-like protuberances or sharpened knife-like protuberances adapted to penetrate or depress a person's skin when the pad is pressed against the person's body. The sharpened protuberances act as acupuncture points to stimulate nerve endings under the skin so as to increase blood circulation and thereby ease or relieve pain experienced by the person being treated with the flexible pad.
I am aware of some prior art patents relating to flexible pad constructions designed to massage or treat the human body. U.S. Pat. No. 4,411,258 issued to C. Piyals on Oct. 25, 1983, discloses a flexible pad that may be held against a person's back by means of a flexible belt that is adapted to be wrapped around the person's torso. The flexible pad has several cone-shaped projections adapted to engage the person's skin so as to stimulate the skin tissues. Each cone-shaped projection has a tip area that is deflectable so as to avoid any piercing action of the person's skin. The projections are widely spaced, with a preferred spacing being approximately one and three eighth inch.
The patent to Altmeyer dated Aug. 13, 1963, U.S. Pat. No. 3,100,483, discloses a foot exerciser pad formed of soft rubber and having a series of different height projections distributed along the pad surface; the projections have rounded upper ends. The person stands on the pad and shifts his/her feet along the rounded projections so that the upper ends of the projections engage the arch portions of each foot, thereby exercising the foot muscles and stimulating the blood circulation.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,554,510, issued to E. W. Kirby on Sep. 22, 1925, shows a device for applying creams and pastes to a person's face while at the same time massaging the skin surface so as to exert a cleansing or softening effect. The device comprises a flat plate formed of soft pliable rubber, and having a large multiplicity of projections spaced therealong; each projection has a rounded end surface. A shroud wall is attached to an end portion of the flat plate to form a mitten-like insertion space for the person's fingers, whereby the person can manipulate the pliable plate along the skin surface to spread pastes and creams, and/or to massage the paste into the skin.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,741,962 issued to A. Theodoropulos, shows a massaging block carried on an elongated belt or strap; the massage block has a recess therein for a quantity of soap. The block and belt surface are each formed with projections, whereby a person can grasp the ends of the belt to rub the projections against the skin surface. Openings are formed in the block for enabling soap to flow onto the massaged areas of the skin, such that dirt particles are loosened and emulsified during the skin massaging action. The ends of the projections are blunt, presumably to prevent any penetration of the projections into the skin surface.
Russian patent SU 1489773-A1 discloses a massage device in the form of an elongated massage element adapted to extend transversely along the knuckles of a person's hand; a slot-like opening is formed in the massage element such that the person can insert his/her fingers through the opening to grip the massage element. A frontal surface of the massage element has a series of pointed projections extending therealong so that apparently the projections can be pressed against the skin area of a person being treated during a massaging operation.